Blog for Better Living

A Therapist’s Wish for 2025: Building Strength Through Adversity

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | February 11, 2025

This year, I’m continuing the tradition of sharing my personal reflections on the past year and my intentions for the year ahead. The new year is typically a time for reflection and gratitude, but to be honest, this has been a difficult practice for me lately. It’s been a chaotic start to the year for […]

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Grief, Personal Improvement, Stress

How to Say Goodbye

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | November 8, 2024

How can we possibly say goodbye to someone we love when they approach the end of their life? It seems like an impossible task because we simply don’t want to say goodbye to the people we love – especially if we are saying goodbye forever. Facing this certainty feels unbearable. As hard as it may […]

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Anxiety, Depression, Grief, Relationships

The Power of Validation

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | August 9, 2024

We all want to feel heard, accepted, valued, and even loved. When we validate someone, we are essentially giving them this experience. Life can be confusing and difficult for all of us, but when we are genuinely validated, we feel acknowledged and reassured that we are not alone. Life seems more manageable, and we become […]

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Anger, Anxiety, Depression, Parenting, Relationships, Therapy, Trauma

The Benefits of Working With a Private Practice Therapist

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | May 10, 2024

Mental health has grown as an open topic of conversation since the pandemic, and more people than ever seem to reach out for help. This change catalyzed the startup of large wellness corporations offering “on-demand” therapy, which feel more like tech companies than private mental health care practices. Further examination of the care provided by […]

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Personal Improvement, Relationships, Therapy

A Therapist’s Wish for 2024

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | December 29, 2023

The new year signifies a time of reflection and gratitude. This especially reigns true this year, as COVID’s grip on us lessened. The national public health emergency officially ended on May 11, 2023. It’s hard to believe that only a short time ago the world opened up and things seem to operate in their pre-pandemic […]

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Holidays, Mindfulness, Personal Improvement, Relationships

Mental Health Awareness Month

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | May 12, 2023

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! This month provides an opportunity to discuss the importance of mental health, break the stigma surrounding mental health concerns and to encourage anyone who struggles to seek help. The topic of mental health and mental health treatment is now part of the mainstream conversation, which is not surprising, since […]

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Anxiety, Depression, Grief, Personal Improvement, Relationships, Stress, Therapy, Trauma

How to Apologize in Three Steps

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | April 7, 2023

Saying “I’m sorry” is an effective way to build trust in relationships and is important for emotional closeness. A good apology reduces stress, creates a new perspective, and gives us a chance to learn something new about ourselves and others. We are all susceptible to saying something unkind, lashing out in anger, or being careless […]

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Personal Improvement, Relationships, Stress

A Therapist’s Wish for 2023

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | January 6, 2023

This year I continue the tradition of writing about my personal reflections of the previous year, lessons I’ve learned, and intentions for the future. I hope that you enjoy this article and the musings. At the beginning of 2022, I felt overwhelmed by all the catching up I felt I needed to do in my […]

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Mindfulness, Personal Improvement, Relationships

Why are holidays so hard? A Guide for Coping

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | November 25, 2022

If the holidays don’t feel like the often quoted ‘most wonderful time of the year,’ you aren’t alone in that feeling. At an early age, we learn that the holidays are times for festivity, a time for the entire family to come together in perfect joy. Social media shows idyllic images of beautiful families together, […]

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Family, Grief, Holidays, Stress, Trauma